Apparatus for supporting treating devices inside moving can bodies



Aug. 12, 1958 K. BoFlNGER 2,846,972

APPARATUS PoR SUPPORTING TREATING DEVICES l INSIDE MOVING CAN BODIESFiled Aug. 2l, 1956 United States 'Patent APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTINGIREATING DEVICES INSIDE MOVING CAN BODIES Karl Botinger, Cincinnati,Ohio, assignor to American 'Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New Jersey Application August 2'1, 1956, Serial No. 605,289 6 claims.(Cl. 11s-3117) The present invention relates to machines for treatingthe interior surfaces of can or container bodies or the like articlesmoving in end-to-end relation in spaced processional order and hasparticular reference to devices for supporting the treating elementsinside the moving can bodies without interfering with their continuousadvancement.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a` simple eicientexterior support for treating devices located at a treating station in apath of travel inside of can bodies or the like articles moving inend-to-end processional order so that the can bodies can readily passover and around the treating devices telescopically Without interferencefor interior treatment at the treating station.

Another object is to provide a substantially continuous moving supportfor the treating devices so a's to hold the treating devices in asubstantially stable position against side sway and vertical tilting orother movement.

Another object is to provide for such a support which is connected withthe can body advancing mechanism to provide for an accurate holding ofthe treating devices in a predetermined relation to the can bodiespassing over them.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a can body makingmachine, the view showing the body supporting horn at the entrance endof the machine, with portions broken back and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view similar to Fig. l, and showing aportion of the body supporting horn at the discharge end of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view astaken substantially along theline 3 3 in Fig. 2, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side viewy of certain of the parts shown in Fig.2, with parts broken away and parts in section.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention thedrawings illustrate principal parts of a can body making and interiortreating machine of the character disclosed in United States Patent2,220,107 issued November 5, 1940, toW. M. Holloway on Apparatus forSoldering and Striping Can Scams.

In such a machine, dat sheet metal blanks, preferably made from tinplate, black iron or the like material, are formed into tubular canbodies A having side seam marginal edge portions locked together in aside seam B (Fig. 3) to permanently hold the body together. Afterformation of the side seam B, it is soldered to render the seamhermetic.

Near the discharge end of the machine a lm of coating material issprayed in a stripe onto the side seam on 2,846,972 Patented Aug. 12,1958 the inside of the body to protect this portion of the body.

The can bodies A are formed into tubular shape around a stationaryhorizontally disposed inside support mandrel 11 (Fig. l) and areadvanced in spaced and timed endwise relation, intermittently along thismandrel 11, by conventional feed dogs 12 mounted in spaced relation onreciprocating feed bars 13 which operate in grooves formed in themandrel 11. The feed dogs 12 advance the can bodies with their side seammarginal edge portions spread apart in spaced relation, through aplurality of working stations where operations are performed on the edgeportionsl to prepare them for incorporation in the side seam B. Afterpreparation of these seam edges, the feed dogs 12 advance the bodies Aindividually into a bumping station where the prepared edges of the bodyare interengaged and then locked together by a bumping operationeifected by a bumping hammer 1S (Fig. l) to produce the side seam B.

After the bumping of the side seam B the feed dogs 12 push the bodies Aoff the inside mandrel 11 and into a continuing outside horn 16 (Figs. 2and 3). This outside horn 16 preferably comprises a pair of magneticrails 17 which extend from the end of the inside mandrel 11 to thedischarge end of the machine. Each of these magnetic rails 17 isinterposed between a pair of nonmagnetic plates 18, which takencollectively with a spacer plate 19 are secured in an angular positionto the bottom of an elongated carrier member 21. The rails 17 and plates18 on each side of the member 21 converge toward the center of the pathof travel of the can bodies A and thus support the can bodies as bestshown in Fig. 3.

The can bodies A supported by the magnetic horn 16 are propelledcontinuously in spaced, endwise relation through a plurality of stationswhich include a soldering station for applying solder to the side seam,a `cooling station, a wiping station for removing excess solder, and aspraying station for coating or striping the side seam on the inside ofthe body as disclosed in the above mentioned Holloway patent.

This advancement of the can bodies A along the outside horn 16 iseffected by a continuously moving endless conveyor chain 23 whichoperates over sprockets located at the ends of the horn member 21 asshown in the Holloway patent. The lower run of the conveyor 23 operatesin a clearance groove 24 formed in the bottom of the horn member 21, thechain being supported against sagging by spaced rollers 25 attached toeach side of the chain and which ride in horizontal track grooves 26 inthe horn member 21. At spaced intervals along the conveyor 23, the chaincarries stationary and movable cooperating gripper dogs 28, 29 (Fig. 4)which hold the can bodies rmly while propelling them along the outsidehorn 16. These are conventional gripper dogs as shown in the Hollowaypatent.

' The rspraying ofthe inner surface of the side seam B at the sprayingstation is effected by a spray head 31 located near the discharge end ofthe machine and is supplied with the coating material and a propellantby way of a pair of supply pipes 32, 33 encased in a protective tube 34connected to the spray head. Since the can bodies A to be sprayed on theinside by this spray head 31 are closed at the side seam and must passover the spray head while completely surrounding it and further mustride off the end of the outside horn 16 at the discharge end of themachine, the pipes 32, 33 which supply the spray head must extend allthe way back through the outside horn 16, and the inside mandrel 11 to apoint ahead of the bumping hammer 15 where the side seam edge portionsof the body are still in separated relation, so that the pipes 32, 33can lead away from the mandrel to a suitable source of supply of thecoating material and the propellant. This leaves the spray head 31 in anun- 3 supported relation in the outside horn 16 at the discharge end ofthe machine.

The instant invention relates to the supporting of the spray head 31 ina novel manner which is simple and efficient. For this purpose the sprayhead tube 34 is surrounded by a bracket 37 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) which isclamped to the tube and which above the tube is formed with a pair ofhorizontal tracks 38 which extend the length of the bracket and whichare disposed on opposite sides of a. longitudinal clearance slot oropening 39 in the top of the bracket. The clearance slot 39 is disposedin vertical alignment with the path of travel of the stationary gripperdogs 2S on the conveyor 23, for the passage therethrough of a dependinglug or extension 41 formed on each of the gripper dogs 28. These lugs 41carry opposed support rollers 42 which ride in the tracks 38 in thebracket 37. The tracks 3? are of a length greater than the space betweentwo successive gripper dogs 28 on the conveyor 23 so that the supportrollers 42 on at least one gripper dog 28 are always located within thetrack.

Thus as the continuously moving conveyor 23 propels the can bodies Aalong the outside horn 16, each pair of support rollers 42 of a gripperdog 28 enter and ride along the tracks 38 of the bracket 37 before apreceding pair of rollers leave the tracks, and thus there is always atleast one pair of rollers 42 in the tracks 38 to hold up and support thebracket 37 and the spray head 31 connected thereto. The spray head 31 isthus continuously suspended in a predetermined relation to the path oftravel of the gripper dogs 23, 29 and is thus maintained in apredetermined relation to the interior surfaces of the can bodies A forthe spraying operation as the bodies pass over and around the spray headwithout interference. The tracks 38 in the bracket 37 provide forholding the spray head 31 in a uniform stable position against side swayor vertical movement or tilting and thus provide for accurate sprayingof the side seam or other desired interior surfaces of the bodies.

As shown in the drawings, the conveyor support rollers 25 which operatein the horn member track grooves 26, preferably are disposed adjacentthe body gripper dogs 28, 29 so that these rollers 25, the dogs 28, 29,the lugs 41 and their rollers 42 are suitably included in a compact unitwhich provides for vertical alignment of all of the conveyor and sprayhead supporting elements while propelling the can bodies A along theirhorizontal path of travel.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a machine for treating can bodies on the interior thereof, thecombination of a horn for supporting a plurality of can bodies in spacedend-to-end relation, conveyor means disposed adjacent said horn forpropelling said spaced can bodies along said horn in processional order,treating means disposed adiacent said horn in the path of travel of saidmoving can bodies so that the bodies pass over and around said treatingmeans in telescopic relation thereto for the interior treatment of saidbodies, support means connected to said treating means, and auxiliarysupport means mounted on and moving with said conveyor and engageablewith the support means on said treating means for supporting saidtreating means in a predetermined suspended position relative to theinterior surfaces of the moving can bodies passing over and around saidtreating means.

2. In a machine of the character defined in claim 1 the combinationwherein said treating means is provided with a support bracket having atrack extending along the path of travel of said conveyor and whereinsaid auxiliary support means is a plurality of spaced apart supportelements carried on said conveyor and engageable in succession in saidtrack in said support bracket, said support elements being spaced aparton said conveyor a distance less than the length of said track to insurethe engagement of at least one support element in said track at alltimes for the continuous support of said treating means.

3. In a machine of the character dened in claim 2 the combinationwherein said support elements are rollers.

4. In a machine of the character defined in claim l the combinationwherein said conveyor means is an endless chain carrying spaced can bodygripper dogs and wherein said auxiliary support means is a pair ofoppositely disposed rollers mounted on lug extensions of each of saidgripper dogs, and wherein said treating means is provided with a brackethaving oppositely disposed tracks parallel with and extending along thepath of travel of said conveyor chain for the reception of said rollersto support said treating means, said tracks having a length greater thanthe distance between said gripper dogs to insure that the rollers of atleast one gripper dog are always disposed in said tracks to provide forcontinuous support of said treating means.

5. In a machine of the character defined in claim 4 the combinationwherein said conveyor chain is provided with conveyor supportingelements to support said chain against sagging, and wherein saidconveyor supporting elements, said gripper dogs, and said treating meanssupporting rollers on said dogs are all combined in a unit for each canbody being propelled by said conveyor.

6. In a machine of the character defined in claim l the combinationwherein said treating means includes a spray head for directing treatingmaterial toward interior surfaces of said moving can bodies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,760,465 Hawkins Aug. 28,

